Post clamp chain



July 5, 1938. J. c. BISHOP POST CLAMP CHAIN Filed Aug. 27, 1957 Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in post clamps.

In driving fence posts and the like into the earth the posts are very often split and become unsuitable for further use requiring that they be removed and replaced with new posts. Particularly is this true where the posts must be periodically driven down after being raised by frost in the ground and other reasons.

It is the main object of my invention to provide a clamp which may be readily wrapped and drawn tight around the post while it is being driven and which will support and prevent the post from splitting.

Another object is to provide a clamp of this kind in simple and inexpensive form and adaptable to use on posts of any sizes commonly employed.

Another object is to provide a clamping device of this kind including a chain to encircle the post and a clamping device for drawing the chain tight around the post, the said clamping device comprising a base plate to which one end of the chain is adjustably connected and which for this purpose has a plurality of hooks staggered apart a distance less than the length of one chain link so as to give some nicety of adjustment of the chain, and a hand lever pivotally mounted on the base plate and attached to the other end of the chain, the arrangement being such that swinging the lever to a closed position will pull the chain tightly around the post.

With these and other objects in View the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing as showing a preferred embodiment of my invention for purposes of exemplification.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a post showing my clamp applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the clamp base plate alone.

Figure 3 is a fragmental perspective view of the hand lever and a portion of the chain.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawing my invention comprises a clamping de- 50 vice 5 and a chain 6 which are to be arranged around the post A so as to exert a circumferential clamping or binding effect thereon and prevent same from splitting or splintering off as it is being driven. The clamping device 5 comprises a substantially rectangular base plate I bowed slightly along its longitudinal line so as to provide a concaved inner or post engaging face 8. At one end an outwardly turned and flattened ear 9 is extended from the base plate and same has an aperture ID to receive the pivot pin or rivet H by which the hand lever I2 is connected to the base plate. This lever [2 has the forked end l3 forming a cleft M to receive the ear 9 and with apertures 5 to receive the said pin ll. Thus the hand lever [2 may swing toward or away from the base plate 1 on its ear 9.

The opposite end of the base plate has a chain hook l6 locatedto one side of the center line of the plate and has another hook [6a at an equal distance to the other side of the center line but located inwardly from the end of the plate a distance equal to about half the length of one of the links 611 of the chain 6. The hooks l6 and I600 are thus staggered and both are formed by turning out a portion of the base plate itself, the inner hook Isa being set inwardly by cutting into the plate as indicated at [1.

Just outwardly of its forked end l3 the hand lever I2 is given a bend or offset I8 to the side so that the handle portion of the lever stands at an oblique angle and to one side of the forked end as shown. At the junction of the forked end 13 and the bend [8 a notch 20 is formed angularly into the lever so as to provide a retaining lip or hook 2| and one end of the chain 6 is provided with an elongated end link 6b which will slip over the lever and into this notch.

In use now the base plate 1 is rested with its concaved face 8 against the side of the post A near its upper end and the hand lever I2 swung outward from the post as shown in Figure 1. The free end of the chain 6 is then placed around the post and pulled tightly by hand and a link hooked over either of the hooks l6 or Ilia. Any excess chain may hang down free alongside the post. The hand lever I2 is then swung over in the direction indicated so that the end link 62) is carried around and past the lever pivot pin H and the resulting endwise pull on the chain will draw it tightly and firmly around the post so that the post may be driven without splintering. When the link 61) moves inwardly past the pin II the pull of the chain holds the lever [2 in this closed position as indicated in broken lines in .Figure 1. The offset or bend IS in the lever causes it to assume a position in against the base plate I limiting the movement in this direction and keeping the lever out of the way when working around the post. The staggering of the hooks l6 and Mia. allows a preliminary take up of the chain equal to the length of half one chain link facilitating the initial adjustment of the chain around the post. The device may be readily applied to any post of any usual size and shape.

The inner face 8 of the base plate I has a plurality of teeth or caulks 22 which together with the wide shape of the plate aid in holding the plate in position on the post.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor structural details so as best to provide a practical device for the purposes intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a base plate having an apertured ear at one end, the opposite end being widened and having a hook formed at its margin to one side of the medial line of the plate, another hook formed at the opposite side of the medial line of the plate and formed by cutting back the plate to dispose the last mentioned hook at some distance from the margin of the widened end of the plate, a hand lever pivoted to the ear on the plate, and a chain connected to the hand lever and adapted to be selectively engaged with the said hooks as and for the purposes described.

JOHN C. BISHOP. 

